Identify the predicate in the following sentence: 'A run-on sentence can confuse the reader.'

In the sentence "A run-on sentence can confuse the reader," the predicate is "can confuse the reader." The predicate is the part of the sentence that tells us what the subject does or what happens to the subject. In this case, the subject is "A run-on sentence," and the predicate explains the action or state of being related to the subject, specifically what the run-on sentence can do.

The structure of the predicate here involves the modal verb "can," indicating possibility, followed by the main verb "confuse" and the object "the reader." This construction effectively conveys the complete thought of what the run-on sentence does, which is to confuse the reader. Thus, the choice reflects the essential action and condition associated with the subject in the sentence.